Advantages of family day care: Child Care Resource Service | Illinois

Child Care Resource Service | Illinois

Child Care Options

There are three primary non-parental child care arrangements used by families in the U.S. Each has its unique advantages and considerations. No one type of care will be best for all families. A good child care arrangement is one which matches the child’s and family’s needs to the type of care provided.

Center-based Child Care

Center-based child care are group child care programs which provide full or part time care. In Illinois they are licensed by the State according to minimal standards regulating health, safety, space and staffing standards.

Benefits

The advantages of center-based care are:

• Its reliability (they are open year round and do not fluctuate with staff illnesses or vacations)
• Trained staff
  (good centers have well-trained staff who design a developmentally appropriate program for children)
• The variety of playmates
• Opportunities for parental involvement in curriculum planning and policy-making
• Additional services which are often available such as special field trips, health screening, music, dance, or gymnastic instruction.

Considerations

The considerations of center-based care are:

• The inflexibility in choosing and paying for only the hours that you need
  
  (typically center-based care is open 7 a.m. through 5:30 or 6:00 p.m. Monday – Friday, only).
• Parents working rotating shifts, needing part-time care, later evening hours or weekend care have a harder time finding centers that will accommodate their needs.
• Generally centers have larger groups of children in a room and your child may need to adjust to several different adults who work different schedules.
• Centers offer more structured settings with less ability to accommodate individual needs, routines, and interests.

Family Child Care

Family child care is provided in a home other than a child’s own home. Oftentimes, the provider is a mother with children of her own. Providers who care for more than 3 unrelated children must be licensed through the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) and are subject to fingerprinting and a criminal background check for child abuse and neglect. The provider must complete 15 hours of inservice training per calendar year and must also complete a 6 hour training on caring for children with disabilities. For a full listing of requirements and list of steps to becoming licensed, please see the Becoming Licensed Flyer.

Benefits

The advantages of family child care include:

• Smaller, home-like setting with one consistent adult
• Greater flexibility in hours (it is more common to find family child care provided during early or late hours, evenings or weekends)
• Fewer children and less structure to adjust to allowing the caregiver to better accommodate individual needs and routines.

Considerations

Considerations of family child care are:

• The lack of reliability (often there is no substitute should the provider get sick or go on vacation)
• The high turnover rates among providers
• The variability in quality.

In-home Child Care

In-home care takes place in the child’s own home. In many cases, the caregiver may be a relative of the child. (This is instead of a professional nanny.)

Benefits

It has the advantage of causing the least disruption to the child, the greatest convenience to the parents, and also offers the highest degree of control over the care-giving situation (what and when the child eats and sleeps, what, if any T.V. is shown, which toys are played with, etc.).

Considerations

Considerations of in-home care include:

• Its cost (generally it is the most expensive of all arrangements)
• The complexity of finding a qualified caregiver
• The loss of family privacy
• The difficulty in retaining caregivers and maintaining good communications (turnover rates in child care are generally highest among in-home caregivers)
• The legal, financial, and other requirements of the parents as employers
• The lack of social interaction opportunities for the child or caregiver.

Contact our office for an “in-home” booklet that lists several options.

The Benefits of Choosing Family Day Care

If you’re wondering whether a family day care environment is the right fit for your family, have a look at the benefits of choosing family day care, when considering child care and early education options for your child.

According to a survey by Family Day Care Australia, families often choose family day care for its unique natural home environment and small group settings. They also find that close bonds and one-to-one attention to their kids leads to an appealing child care environment.

Family day care is the perfect solution for parents and carers, that are looking for a safe, welcoming, and affordable environment for their child – while being adaptable to their work environment.

Benefits of Family Day Care

Family day care provides high-quality esocially and educationally stimulating arly education and care to children in the own home of the educator.   It is a nurturing, natural and flexible learning environment, with many appealing benefits.

We had a chat with our Assistant Director for Children’s Services, Phillipa Hargrave, to discuss what this type of child care can offer families.

1. Individualised learning programs

Family day care educators provide individualised learning programs for the children they care for.

“The unique small group setting allows our educators to provide a play-based learning program that’s tailored to each individual child’s development needs and interests,” Phillipa says.

“So, if your child has special interests, or interests which are outside the norm, our educators are very skilled at planning their learning program around those to create the best possible experience for your child.”

2. Flexible hours and costs 

Family day care educators can offer care for your kids during standard hours, evenings, before/after school, during school holidays and in some instances, overnight and weekends.

“Educators charge an hourly rate rather than a daily rate, potentially making it a more affordable childcare option,” explains Phillipa.

“Many also have very flexible hours and can offer care at times to suit your working hours – whether those are standard or out of the regular.”

3. Healthier children

Many families are also of the view that having children in the care of a family day care service means larger health benefits.

Phillipa says that many parents and carers find that being around a smaller group of children means their own child does not get ill as often as they may in a more populated care environment, hence enjoying the “health benefits”.

4. Greater community engagement 

Having your child in the care of a family day care educator can often mean experiences that reflect the diversity of the community.

The small group numbers allow educators to easily engage in their community.

“Our families love that a lot of our educators are very active in the community, sourcing their own community connections and things that they are passionate about,” says Phillipa.

“Prior to COVID-19, our educators were taking children to nursing homes or community gardens, had local outings to the shops, library or local parks and parklands, or came to one or more of our five playgroups.

“All of these outings allowed the children to learn from everyday life activities and experiences and helped them become familiar with their local community and form relationships with the people in it.”

Courtney Love, one of Communities@Work’s almost 100 family day care educators, agrees.

“Parents really love that we can get out in the community. Before the restrictions, so many of my fellow educators were out pretty much every day. And that’s really good for the children’s stimulation and for their learning opportunities.

For instance, when we go out to the shops, we teach the children about manners, how we’re supposed to be safe and how we need to stay close to each other in the shop. So it’s more than just like being at home – it’s about always looking for and using opportunities to educate.   Even if it’s the most mundane thing.”

5. Closer bonds with educators

The family day care environment offers the opportunity to children to form authentic and long-lasting bonds with their educator.

Taking the time to work with new families ensures the right fit between a child, educator and family.

“When families first come to us looking for care, we try to get a feel for their family values and needs so we can best match those with our educator’s values and abilities,” explains Phillipa. “With almost 100 qualified and passionate educators registered with us, with diverse backgrounds and cultures, families have plenty of opportunities to find one that best suits them and their child.

“Making sure we get the right fit also means your child is more likely to form genuine long-lasting bonds with their educator, who nurtures them and looks after them as their own mother would. Many families view our educators as a second mother to their child – and that’s exactly what many are looking for. ”

Parent Sally Alcock certainly agrees.

“We are so happy that we found our Communities@Work educator to care for our daughter. She wakes up every morning and asks, “Am I going to Becky’s today?” It’s such a relief knowing she is so comfortable and happy in her care. Rebecca is like a second mum to her and that’s exactly what we wanted it to feel like.”

6. Strong support network

One of the many benefits of choosing family day care is the strong support network behind your educator.

Communities@Work’s Family Day Care and In-Home Care is an award-winning service, supporting almost 1000 Canberran children. A large part of its success stems from the support provided to educators by its support coordination team and the enviable partnership created between the two.

Photo: Communities@Work Family Day Care Support Coordination Team

“Our educators have a lot of knowledge to share. We have a lot of knowledge to share. So together we form a very successful partnership in leading the education of children in a home environment,” says Phillipa. “Seeing their educator so strongly supported is also very reassuring for families and gives them peace of mind that their child will continue to receive a high quality of care.

“We‘re here for them on a day to day level, providing guidance and advice – either over the phone or by visiting them in their homes. Because we know that being a family day care educator can be an isolating job at times.  That’s why we’re really passionate about creating networks and support groups for our educators so they feel like they’re part of a bigger team.

“We’re also very passionate about extending their professional development and offer numerous training opportunities each year, including online or classroom-based, professional dinners, and networking forums.

During the current COVID-19 restrictions, the coordination team has been working closely with educators to support families to continue to access their normal care arrangements and have put active measures in place to support the health and safety of all accessing the service.

“We’re proud that many of our educators have been with us for 20-30 years,” says Phillipa. “That’s a sign that we’re doing something right!”

About Family Day Care Educators

Family Day Care educators are qualified early childhood education and care professionals. They engage in the principles and practices of the Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF) and work within the requirements of the National Quality Framework.

These educators need to meet certain requirements to offer care to children, so that your children will be in a safe, educational child care environment. Some of these requirements include being registered with an approved family day care service, be at least Certificate III level qualified in early childhood education and care (or be working towards the certificate), maintain emergency health management certificates and training such as first aid and CPR, maintain a clearance of working with children, maintain current public liability insurance coverage, etc. More information about these can be found on the Family Day Care Australia website.

Communities@Work Family Day Care and In-Home Care

Communities@Work’s family day care and in-home care services deliver high quality small group education and care, provided in educator’s own homes and tailored to individual families’ needs. We support almost 100 educators who are self-employed professionals, committed to children’s education and care, and to their own professional learning. Our family day care educators offer care for children across several locations in Canberra and the surrounding ACT region.

Our educators are supported by a strong support coordination unit, dedicated to leading practice and learning in early childhood education and child care. Our family day care educators are known for their passion, interest, and connection to the children.

We are a two-time National Family Day Care Service of the Year Award winner (2015 and 2016). Our service is rated as Exceeding Quality Standard under the National Quality Framework.

To find out more, visit our Communities@Work Family Day Care and In-Home Care page.

A shorter version of this story is also available on The RiotACT.

“Your children – your responsibility.” Who opens family kindergartens and why

Family kindergartens are attached to schools, comply with safety and sanitation standards, but differ in the number of children in a group. Parents with many children have the right to organize them, primarily for their own children. On the air of the Radio School program, the director of school No. 2065 Natalia Faydyuk and the assistant teacher of the family kindergarten Daniel Titova explain why and for whom such organizations are good.

How family kindergartens appear and disappear

Natalia Faidyuk. Family kindergartens have existed in Moscow for a long time: the first ones began to appear in 2007. Now there are 14 of them in our school, in total about 50 children go to them.

Approximately every month a new garden opens at the school. We are developing this area because it is in demand by parents with many children. This is a very convenient form: the mother gets the opportunity to be at home, and the children are included in the educational process. Salary and compensation for food are added to the family income.

Family kindergartens are not separated from the school: they are part of pre-school education that is included in the structure. A family kindergarten is necessarily attached to some kind of preschool group. At the same time, only a large family with at least three children can organize it. Otherwise, preschool education goes outside the educational system.

Parents have several options for opening a kindergarten:

• bring their children to kindergarten classes;
• fully educate yourself;
• to carry out only supervision and care.

Here are three main types of family kindergarten that can be implemented depending on the desire of the mother, education, opportunities. The simplest in form is the last, only supervision.

Children from any family can come to the family kindergarten. The main thing is that there should not be more than five people in the group. The garden stops working when the youngest in the group goes to first grade. There are situations when one child of the mother herself remains in the garden, and three or four come from another, not necessarily a large family.

Parents who want to send their child to a family garden often do not know who organizes them. Therefore, we are starting to communicate with those families that can accept someone else’s child into the group and are open to dialogue with other moms and dads. This is a story about mutual understanding. The agreement is signed tripartite: one family, another family and school. The most important thing here is how they fit together.

The requirements for any employee of an educational institution are the same. There are no exceptions for family kindergartens. If a person has a pedagogical education and a teacher is provided for in the staffing table of the school, then one of the parents can be him. If there is no pedagogical education, then the position of “assistant educator” is suitable – it is quite consistent with secondary specialized education.

Sometimes parents are willing to spend time and effort on retraining: one dad studies hard for the second year because he wants to be a teacher

He has not yet opened a garden, but strives for it. But in general, retraining is a serious story, which, having at least three children, still needs to be decided.

When we receive applications from parents who want to open a family kindergarten, we create a special commission. She comes to the address indicated in the application and checks the conditions for compliance with safety and sanitation standards. There are no strict rules on the area of ​​the room: after all, the number of children is limited to five. But the apartment remains an apartment, and everyone understands that 15 people inside are too much.

Why family gardens are gaining popularity

Natalia Faydyuk. Family kindergartens are in great demand in SEAD, SAD, areas of mass development. Houses are being built, apartments are being occupied, people are moving. Young people are not afraid to have many children. If we take the contingent of our school, then not a smaller, but even a large part of the children in it are from large families. My deputies are quite young: all men are about 30-40 years old, and three out of four have more than two children. They do everything in time, they work in good positions. In a word, family kindergartens are a natural response to natural urban development. And you can create it in any Moscow district.

There were cases when our commission did not open a family kindergarten. There are private houses on the territory of Moscow, for example. There are families who want to open in them, but this cannot be done. But such cases do not happen often: we had only two precedents when the family garden was not opened. Then it was connected with living conditions. Parents, having received the report, understood everything. Their children went to regular groups.

Imagine that a certain aunt Valya lives in a house with a huge apartment and a pedagogical education. She is ready to take over the family kindergarten. But if Aunt Valya is not a mother of many children, she does not have such an opportunity. But she can become an individual entrepreneur who will provide educational services. This is another story of a non-standard private garden, outside the educational organization.

If we find that the rules of the employment contract or the tripartite agreement on education are violated – for example, someone else works in the garden instead of a mother of many children – it will quickly close. But so far, not a single family garden has closed.

Why mothers with many children need it

Daniel Titova. Having become a mother for the first time, I did not think about opening a family kindergarten and did not even know that such existed. When I came to register my child, the woman at the registry office advised me to queue up for a place in the state kindergarten. I thought: “How is it? Kindergarten? Will I give my child?” I just gave birth, listened to classical music, went to theaters and museums so that it develops inside me, and what if I give it to some aunt for education? I decided to raise my children on my own, without nannies, grandparents.

In my opinion, no one can raise a child better than a mother

Only a mother knows what shortcomings he has. Only she sees when he is really tired, when he can still study or no longer. Which teacher will follow each child when there are 20–30 children in a group?

When I had three children, I learned about the possibility of opening a family kindergarten. I went to school, told about my desire, went through certain procedures and became a full-fledged employee. I have been working as an assistant teacher for five years. There are five children in our garden, all of them are mine. I love to study with them and even regret that I did not receive the education of a primary school teacher. I like to read together, put my hand when writing. I see how they learn to put these letters and sounds into words, and I’m really crazy about it.

How parents from family gardens communicate with the administration

Natalia Faidyuk. It is wrong to say that we hired an employee, opened a garden and forgot about him. Any educational institution has a program that is adopted by the pedagogical council, and any school employee, including an employee of a family kindergarten, is obliged to adhere to it. If the pedagogical council makes a decision by the whole school to switch to the Montessori system, then each employee will have to implement it.

The school has a special person who is in charge of the pre-school level of the educational center. With us, this is Olga Nazarovna, whom every mother-educator knows for sure. She comes to visit and watches how regime moments pass, sanitary standards and safety measures are observed. Olga Nazarovna organizes special holidays for family kindergartens, so children come to us both in kindergartens and schools.

Daniel Titova. Olga Nazarovna comes, everything goes very amicably and peacefully. She doesn’t walk around and say, “Oh, that’s not right, that’s not right.” Everyone understands that this is an apartment. We did not have such that unsanitary conditions were found. After all, any mother wants her child to be clean and safe. All furniture from us was bought according to age, according to the height of the child. All corners have special smoothing pads, sockets are closed, and special locks are required on the windows. You put them on once, but then it won’t disappear anywhere.

We are in very close contact with Olga Nazarovna. She always throws up some ideas: “Look, neuropsychological gymnastics has come out. How do you feel about her?” This is a very useful methodological aid. In addition, she supports the school community, helps not to fall out of the structure of school No. 2065.

Olga Nazarovna holds general events for the whole school. Together we organize, for example, an exhibition. Everyone throws off common ideas in the chat, shares what can be done. Holidays are held together, including trips to citywide events.

Why do schools need family gardens

Natalia Faidyuk. First of all, we are concerned about the education of children, its most convenient organization. The school remains a school, not a commercial enterprise that thinks about super profits.

There are children who find it difficult to work in a team of 30 people. There are children with weak immunity: they are also not very comfortable in a large team

There are children with various specific character traits who are better off in a small company. A family kindergarten helps to prepare children with such characteristics for school: even if in a small group, they communicate, adapt, and prepare for the transition to the first grade. This is better than leaving a child alone at home when he comes to school completely unprepared and for the first time learns that there are classes for 30 people, with rules, discipline and stranger adults.

Children who go to a family kindergarten have exactly the same conditions for entering a school as those who attend a regular kindergarten at the institution. Parents write applications, and their children move on to the next level of education. Most of the children from family kindergartens enter the first grade of our own school.

Daniel Titova. In state kindergartens there is a certain daily routine, and it does not coincide with the one that exists in family kindergartens. Our schedule is adjusted to the schedule, so children with health and character traits are more comfortable in such a “regulated” kindergarten.

I already have two children going to school. They fit perfectly into a huge team of 20-30 people in the class. There were no problems. At home, they turned out to be better prepared than in an ordinary garden. My son immediately entered the gymnasium, and my daughter went to an English private school. It is not necessary to send children to the same school to which the kindergarten is attached.

I decided not to leave my children in family education, because school education is also a way to fully communicate with a large number of people. The child has the first difficulties that he must overcome on his own – this is an important preparation for adulthood.

How children eat in family gardens

Natalia Faidyuk. In addition to a fixed salary, educators and assistant educators receive compensation for food costs. But there are no special strict requirements for the menu in the family kindergarten. When the commission looks at the conditions in the premises, and then comes with control visits, it also examines the table and the quality of the dishes. Those nutrition reports that the family garden sends also show the range of foods used. Therefore, it is very possible to control what and what mom cooks from.

Daniel Titova. We do not attach checks to reports on the kitchen: a certain amount is calculated in advance for each child. The plus is that the mother can really easily take into account the peculiarities of the diet of each child. My children, for example, have gluten intolerance. Accordingly, they do not eat it. This is one reason why family gardens are great for allergy sufferers.

Natalia Faydyuk. Indeed, according to sanitary standards, it is impossible to bring food from home to kindergarten. But there is a way that provides for the exclusion of products based on a medical opinion. If mom brings a certificate, then this will be taken into account. Many mothers follow her not to a public, but to a private clinic. There they receive a list of what the child is not allowed to do. But this is just a list. Of course, in an ordinary state garden, it is more difficult to comply with such conditions. For such cases, when allergies are difficult to bear, a family kindergarten is a great way out.

What are the difficulties in family gardens

Natalia Faydyuk. In my opinion, very small groups in kindergarten are not that good. Many activities, games, holidays depend on the number of children. To divide them into subgroups, to carry out any activities with them, you need much more people than five. In kindergartens at our school, there are always two teachers with children, so they can divide into subgroups and then engage in various activities.

In large groups, children develop both the ability to live in a team and communicate with a large number of people. We are all different, and we will have to live in a very diverse society. The state kindergarten helps in this adaptation. In addition, even the same weak immunity can become stronger with a massive crowd of people. I don’t see anything terrible in large groups.

Daniel Titova. In a family kindergarten, parents have a great responsibility, especially if there are also other people’s children in it. I would not take another child with me: it would become much more difficult for me. With other people’s children, you imagine that your mother will come to you and start saying: “But yesterday you punished my child the wrong way, looked at him the wrong way. They gave something to theirs, but they didn’t give mine.” Your children are your own responsibility. At every moment you know what you need to do, say. And you only need to be accountable to yourself. You are responsible for everything yourself. There is no one to tell why the child does not pronounce “r”. So, in my opinion, a family kindergarten is a convenient form of integrating a large family into the education system.

Listen to the full interview with Natalia Faydyuk and Daniel Titova here. The conversation took place on the air of the Radio School – the Mela project and the radio station “Moscow Speaks” about the problems of education and upbringing. The guests of the studio are teachers, psychologists and other experts. The program is aired on Sundays at 4:00 pm on the Moscow Talking Radio.

Photo: Unsplash (BBC Creative)

and private kindergartens

It’s time to choose a kindergarten. A difficult moment for responsible parents. Whom to entrust your baby, from whom dust particles have been blown away for 3 years? Let’s understand the topic of choosing a preschool institution. Is it worth it to overpay for private gardens, or is it better to save the family budget and go to the state? But where is the guarantee that the child will be comfortable there? Let’s talk about the pros and cons of public and private preschool institutions.

Criteria for choosing a kindergarten

I would like to choose the ideal place for my child. But the first recommendation from “experienced” parents should not be idealized. In some ways, most likely, you will have to compromise, but your task is to understand for yourself: in what this compromise is possible, and what moments are fundamental.

In order to make it easier to compare different kindergartens, we will compile a list of criteria that you can rely on when choosing an institution:

1. Manager. With her, you will solve administrative issues throughout the entire period of study, which is 3-4 years. If communication difficulties arise at the start, consider whether you are ready to enter into dialogues with this person in the near future. Will a person put pressure on you through a child? If you were “billed” from the threshold, be sure that such “charity” is waiting for you again and again. Assess if you are ready to deal with it. If not, then it is better to look for another garden than to constantly be upset by new requisitions. And do not think that this situation is everywhere – no, not everywhere.
2. Inspect the area. This can be done in advance. See how the playgrounds are set up. Are there shelters to shelter from the rain? If there are no canopies, then be sure that in rainy weather the children will sit in a group, instead of going outside. Evaluate the safety of game equipment: sandbox, slide, stairs, carousels. Rely on your own feelings, no one knows better than you child. Ask yourself the question: will I leave the baby on this site unattended? If yes, all is well. If not, why not? Write down your dissatisfaction with the site, this can be discussed with the manager. Perhaps some shortcomings are easy to eliminate.
3. Familiarize yourself with the daily routine of the garden, it must coincide with the work schedule of the parents. Otherwise, you will have to hire a nanny to pick up the baby from the garden. Often kindergartens work until 17, and parents until 18. But there are institutions that look after children until 18.30, or even until 19. Also in the morning, pay attention to what time the admission of children to groups begins.
4. Reviews. Where do without them? Read, often helpful. Read the main thing with a small amount of skepticism, evaluate them critically. If you can see that the negative is poured out because of a personal conflict between individual parents and the administration, this is one thing. If some complaint is repeated from review to review, then be sure there is some truth in this. And pay special attention to this moment when meeting with the garden. It is better to write down such points right away so as not to forget anything.
5. Acquaintance with the teacher. Believe me, if you are not pleased to communicate with this person, then it will be even more difficult for your baby. Diplomas, experience, certificates – all this is good, but next to the child there will be, first of all, a person. And in kindergarten, it is not qualifications that are important, but attention to detail, sensitivity to the needs of children, responsiveness, and a desire to help. If you hear that a “professional in his field” is shouting at children in a voice that is not his own, run. Such an educator will not give anything except psychological trauma, tears, difficult adaptation, fears, anxiety disorders, etc.
6. Adaptation. Pay special attention to this moment. Psychologists recommend taking your baby for a walk so that he gets to know other children. Wait until it becomes interesting to go to the group, but explain that mom can’t go there, if you want, you can go yourself. And it’s better to clarify at the start whether such a scenario for the child’s adaptation is possible. Perhaps the administration will offer its own version, but then discuss it with a child psychologist, he must be on staff. How the child will attend kindergarten every day depends on the success of the adaptation period. If your child will shed tears every morning, this will not make anyone happy.
7. Garden space and the attitude of the team towards hygiene. There are many nuances, and most of them will become known in the process, but monitor the main ones:

• What is used to clean the floors in the playroom and bedroom?
• How is the toilet organized?
• How is the microclimate of the premises monitored: temperature, air humidity?
• What do fully dressed children do before a walk in the cold season (wait in the locker room, corridor, go outside with the teacher while the nanny dresses the others)? This is important because dressed and drunken children, going out into the street will freeze, as a result – often get sick.
• How are they fed, are they forced to finish eating, are they supplemented, or does the child eat on his own?
• How often are shared toys washed?
• How are developmental classes in groups, are there additional circles, who pays for them?
• Where do children eat, play, sleep? Are the beds comfortable? Are the exercise tables age appropriate?

8. Kindergarten traditions. Let’s refer to this item any “charity”: funds, gifts, presentations. It is better to find out about this on the stratum and consider whether this option is right for you. Of course, it is possible to “break the system”, but it requires a lot of mental strength and not the most pleasant experiences. So compare ready/not ready. Talk to the parents of older children, they will tell a lot about this topic.

We have covered the main points that are important for making a decision, regardless of the form of ownership of a kindergarten: private or public.

What the MES recommends

MES has more specific requirements and should not be ignored. Here are the points that are worth paying attention to according to the Ministry of Education and Science:

1. License. It must be active.
2. The territory near the kindergarten: it exists, it is safe (no dry trees, pits, metal pins), the child cannot leave it on his own, there is no access for unauthorized persons, the sandbox is covered from foreign pollution, the playground surface is not traumatic.
3. Room security: Are sockets, corners, wires protected, furniture and toys in good condition, window security (locks, nets, child-friendly).
4. Cleanliness and hygiene. Toilets are separate for children and adults, cleanliness in all rooms, storage of household chemicals inaccessible to children, availability of personal hygiene products (towels, paper, soap).
5. Kitchen and dining room: cleanliness of surfaces, utensils, a full menu, no access to the kitchen for children.
6. Educational program: the presence of crafts / drawings of pupils, walks at temperatures up to -15⁰С and wind gusts up to 21 m / s, free play, the presence of sports, creative activities.

There are no psychological aspects here, purely hygienic rules.

State kindergarten – pros and cons

The main advantage of state kindergartens is a wide network, and it is possible to choose an institution close to home. But if you choose a kindergarten only by location, then it is likely that the expectations from the educational institution will be unjustified. But the benefits of municipal gardens do not end there.

Advantages of the state kindergarten:

• affordable payment for any family budget, the possibility of benefits for low-income families;
• state control on the main parameters of the work of the institution: food, daily routine, compliance with sanitary and hygienic standards, epidemiological situation;
• curriculum, proven over the years, worked out for many generations;
• a wide circle of communication with children from different social circles, faster socialization and development of independence in the baby;
• there are kindergartens, where the material and technical base is not inferior to private kindergartens, and in some places even surpasses them.

Minuses of the state kindergarten:

• menu, food quality – not discussed with parents in any way, individual approach, in terms of nutrition, you don’t have to wait here;
• groups are overcrowded, it is necessary to enroll in the queue almost from birth in order to be guaranteed to get into kindergarten. In this regard, the ability of the educator to devote time to each child also suffers;
• frequent illnesses due to the excess of the number of children in the group, the lack of climate equipment in the premises, the temperature conditions in the bedrooms and playrooms do not always match. Often, when the norm for a bedroom is 18⁰С, there can be 25-30⁰С during the heating season, as a result of non-compliance with the requirements for air humidity;
• additional expenses for the repair of premises. Sadly, the material and technical base of state kindergartens falls on the shoulders of parents both financially and in terms of labor costs;
• lack of developing circles in the garden. And this is the need to spend money and time to take the child to additional classes after the school day.

Sometimes, having calculated all the expenses for a state kindergarten, weighing the attitude of educators and the development of the child’s abilities, parents involuntarily think: “should we switch to a private kindergarten?”.

Private kindergarten – pros and cons

Paid – and live in peace, the child is safe. It is with this attitude that moms and dads take their kids to private kindergartens. But is it always like this? Like public kindergartens, there are pros and cons here.

Advantages of a private kindergarten:

• children in a group of 6 to 15 people, and 2 teachers. This allows you to pay attention to each child;
• modern security systems, such as video surveillance, with remote access for parents. Climate technology that automatically maintains the necessary indoor air parameters, which reduces the level of diseases;
• full staff: speech therapist, psychologist, choreographer, artist, pre-school specialist, pediatrician. And these are varied and interesting activities for children;
• modern furniture, good repair, comfortable rooms, orthopedic mattresses;
• advanced teaching methods: Montessorri, Waldorf method, Happy Childhood, etc. This helps to comprehensively develop the baby and reveal talents from infancy.
• the opportunity to send a child to a nursery up to 3 years. There are kindergartens that accept children from 1 year old;
• nutrition can be tailored to the individual needs of the child. This is especially important for intolerance to certain products, allergies, gastrointestinal disorders. In addition, the menu is more complex, due to the large amounts allocated for children’s food.

Disadvantages of a private kindergarten:

• the cost of staying in a kindergarten is high and not affordable for every family. Therefore, it is necessary to weigh whether it will be comfortable to pay a certain amount monthly;
• such institutions do not always work with a full package of documents, so it is necessary to find out the details at the first meeting. If something happens in the garden, it will be difficult to hold the institution accountable without the appropriate permits, because. parents were not initially convinced of the suitability of the garden;
• remoteness from home, because the network of private gardens is not yet so wide as to be in every yard.
• the child will be limited in communication with the small number of children who attend the group. However, not all parents consider this a minus.

Before making a final decision, weigh the pros and cons. Visit several institutions, look at the emotional state of the pupils. Adults can smile and fawn, children will not prevaricate. Go through all the criteria, consider the pros and cons, to choose the best place for preschool education for your child.

A garden that your child will enjoy going to

As you delve into the throes of choice, don’t forget your child’s preferences and inclinations. You should not give a preschooler to a kindergarten with a sports bias, if all he loves is drawing. Also objectively assess nutritional needs. The kid will be in the kindergarten all day, and if he does not eat 90% of the food that the institution offers, then these are health risks.